Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on March 31, 2020 to speak about the government's measures to help Canadians with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew Meade/iPolitics

Previously, eligibility for the $2,000-a-month benefit required Canadians to have lost all their income since March 15. The requirement that applicants earn at least $5,000 in income in the previous 12 months or in 2019 still remains.

Trudeau said it’s clear that while the CERB is supporting millions of Canadians, others still need the financial help.

“Maybe you’re a volunteer firefighter or contractor who can pick up some shifts or you have a part-time job in a grocery store,” he said at his daily news conference. “Even if you’re still working or if you want to start working again, you probably need help in making ends meet.”

The changes will cover a significant number of workers, including those with lower incomes, who have seen their work hours drastically reduced due to the pandemic. Trudeau said the CERB program must adjust to the reality of contract and gig economy work.

As well, certain artists receiving royalty payments from prior copyrighted works will now be eligible for the CERB. Ottawa is also working with the provinces and territories to top up wages for essential workers earning under $2,500 a month, including those in long-term care facilities.

As well, Trudeau said the federal government will “have more to say to you very soon” on support for post-secondary students and businesses worried about commercial rent.

A spokesperson for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough later told iPolitics that Wednesday’s eligibility changes for seasonal workers covers those who have exhausted their EI benefits.

Therefore, university and college students with plans to work this summer aren’t currently eligible for the CERB based solely on expected loss of income. However, students that meet the $5,000 income requirement, were employed up to March 15 and since stopped working due to COVID-19—or now earning $1,000 or less monthly—are eligible.

“While many post-secondary students are currently eligible for the CERB, we will continue to work to find ways to support those Canadians who do not qualify,” said press secretary Marielle Hossack in an email. “As the Prime Minister said earlier today, we’ll soon have more to say on additional supports for students. This is an absolute priority.”

Hossack said CERB-eligible workers receiving income would be able to keep it and receive the full $2,000 benefit. She added that no legislative changes are needed to enact Wednesday’s eligibility tweaks.

David Macdonald, economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said another 1.1 million workers may gain access to the CERB with the new $1,000 threshold.

However, his analysis found there were 1.4 million workers who earn between $1,000 and $2,000 a month, and have seen a majority of their hours lost, will not be eligible.

Another 1.1 million workers might gain access to CERB as they make less than $1K a month. There are another 1.4 million workers who make between $1K and $2K/mth seen majority hours lost, but make less than CERB of $2K/mth. @ccpa#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/9NGzu47hSe

According to a CCPA report released April 2, Macdonald also estimated that at the end of March, around 604,000 Canadians who were unemployed before March 15 couldn’t claim or qualify for EI. Another 175,000 Canadians who lost their jobs due to the pandemic won’t benefit from the CERB, because they do not meet the $5,000 income 12-month requirement.

In the report, he also estimated 55,000 unemployed Canadians would see their EI claim run out.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos said Tuesday that Ottawa has received six million applications for federal income support through the CERB since March 15. Of that, 3.5 million were received last week.

Trudeau also warned Wednesday that re-opening the economy is still weeks away.

He stressed that if physical distancing measures are lifted too soon, all the sacrifices made up to this point “would have been for nothing.”

“It will be weeks more before we can seriously consider loosening the restrictions,” he said. “It would terrible to release restrictions too early and find out that we’re suddenly back in a big wave of COVID-19.”